Car coupler support



Nov. 17, 1936. G. G. GILPIN l CAR COUPLER SUPPORT 1'?, 1934 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Dec.

Nov. 17,1936.

GJG. GILPIN CAR COUPLER SUPPORT 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Dec. 17, 1954 Patented Nov. 17, 1936 fuivniaio STAT-ES Metal Products Company poration ofDelawa`re yliizcago, .111.,` .a cor- Applieation December 17, 1934,; seri-a1 No. '757,877

claims @iig-ngi).

The devicerelates to railway vcars and more particularly to the means for supporting the outer end' of a railway car coupler adjacent its headwhich permits the coupler to move horizontally and vertically and'adjust itself to the curves and unevenness of the track and is provided with a yielding means for supporting the outer end of the coupler in a vertical` and/or horizontal direction so that when free to do so the coupler 1o will return to its' normal height and to a position adjacent ment has several objects and advantages, such,

for instanceas shown in my Patent No. 1,923,433 of August 22, 1933.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple arrangement of such a device which can be readily and quickly assembled; is very light in weight and economical to manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sliding engagement between the carrier and the car part so that if the yielding means fail (by breaking or taking a permanent set) the carrier will slide laterally of the car upon the car part to accommodate the movement of the coupler. This 2 means for providing the sliding engagement also restricts the downward vertical movement of the coupler and I prefer to have the carrier engage the car part before the spring becomes solid because springs retain their eiciency if prevented 3G from going solid in service. Furthermore, it is possible that the workmen may fail to install the spring, in which event the carrier would not be yielding, but the car, nevertheless, would be serviceable.

Another object of the invention is to provide means to limit the movement of the carrier lengthwise of the car, which means also prevents the carrier from tipping when the coupler slides over it.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a typical application of my device to a railway car when the device is in normal position.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3, on the right hand side, shows a plan view of Fig. 1, and on the left hand side shows a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the car part o-r striking casting.

Fig. 5 shows a pair of bearing plates.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the carrier.

In the drawings the striking casting or other car part 2 is attached to the car and supported thereby by any convenient means, such as the 55 rivets 4 and 6 which hold it to the framing 8 the center of the car, which arrange-` of-the`carl. 'The coupler lilfrests upon the carrier I2 and islretained i'ncentral portion thereon by thlugs I4. -v

' The irstriking castingor car part-2 comprises 'spaced apart vertical walls`2ll connected by a horizontal-f portion 22v preferably adjacent their lower fend's.'

The vertical wallsf are each provided with fan opening 24 through which the carrier l2 moves'laterally of theca'r in service and each of such-openings 24 is provided with a shelf 26 adjacentthe lower-part thereofso that the coil spring or otheryielding means 28 normally supports the carrier.l lf2 vout of engagement `with the shelves, but upon abnormal compression of the spring or other yielding means (or breaking-of a spring) the carrier l2 is supported upon these shelves 2G and slides thereon with the lateral movement of the coupler. The side walls 2 of the openings 24 restrict the movement of the carrier longitudinally of the car and also prevent the carrier from tipping.

The horizontal wall 22 of the car part is provided with an aperture 30 and a pair of bearing plates are provided which move laterally of the car to open or close the aperture. These bearing plates rest upon and are supported by the horizontal portion of the car part. The bolts 38 or other means may be provided to retain the bearing plates 32-34 in their closed position.

To assemble the device the bearing plates 32-34 are moved laterally away from each other to open the aperture 30 so that the spring or yielding means 28 may be moved vertically therethrough into engagement with the carrier l2; then the bearing plates 32-34 are moved back to closed position so that they support the yielding means or spring upon the car part 2.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preierred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A cushioning device for a railway car coupler comprising a car part xed to a car having a horizontal wall adjacent the lower part thereof provided with an aperture, a coupler carrier arranged to move downwardly and laterally of the car with the coupler, a pair of bearing plates movable laterally of the car to open or close said aperture which rests upon said horizontal wall, and yielding means interposed between said carrier and said bearing plates whereby the carrier is yieldingly supported upon the car part and means to hold the bearing plates in place, said elements associated and arranged so that the plates may be moved to open the aperture; the yielding means moved vertically through said apertures into engagement with said carrier; and then the plates moved under the yielding means to close the aperture;

2. A cushioning device for a railway car comprising" a car part having spaced apart vertical walls connected by a horizontal Wall, the vertical walls each provided with an opening having a shelf adjacent the lower part thereof, and the horizontal portion being provided with an aperture, a coupler carrier adapted to move horizontally through one of said openings until the ends thereof are above said shelves respectively and the medial portion of the carrier is over said aperture, a pair of bearing plates movable laterally of the car to open or close said aperture which rest upon said horizontal portion, and yielding means interposed between the carrier and the bearing plates whereby the carrier is yieldingly supported upon the car part and the carrier yieldingly moves laterally of the car with the coupler, said elements associated and arranged so that the plates may be moved to open the aperture, the yielding means moved vertically through the aperture into engagement with the carrier and then the plates moved under the yielding means to close the aperture, said yielding means normally supporting the carrier out of engagement with the shelves whereby upon abnormal movement of the yielding means the carrier is supported upon the shelves and slides thereupon with the lateral movement of the coupler.

3. A cushioning device for a railway car comprising a car part having spaced apart vertical walls connected by a horizontal wall, the vertical walls each provided with an opening having a shelf adjacent the lower part thereof, and the horizontal portion being provided with an aperture, a coupler carrier adapted to move horizontally through one of said openings until the ends thereof are above said shelves respectively and the medial portion of the carrier is over said aperture, means movable laterally o1 the car to open or close said aperture which rest upon said horizontal portion, and yielding means interposed between the carrier and said means whereby the carrier is yieldingly supported upon the car part and the carrier yieldingly moves laterally of the car with the coupler, said elements associated and arranged so that said means may be moved to open the aperture, the yielding means moved vertically through the aperture into engagement with the carrier and then said means moved under the yielding means to close the aperture, said yielding means normally supporting the carrier out of engagement with the shelves whereby upon abnormal movement of the yielding means the carrier is supported upon the shelves and slides thereupon with the lateral movement of the coupler.

GARTH G. GILPIN. 

